Books by Wilkie Collins

Da den unge kunstner Walter Hartright møder en bange, oprevet kvinde klædt helt i hvidt på en øde vej ved midnatstid, beslutter han sig for at gøre, som hun beder om, og hjælpe hende ind til London. Her forsvinder hun sporløst i en droske.Kort efter ankommer Walter til sit nye arbejde som tegnelærer for halvsøstrene Laura og Marian på godset Limmeridge. Den smukke Laura minder påfaldende meget om den mystiske kvinde i hvidt, og efterhånden står det klart for Walter, at der er flere ting, der tyder på, at der er en forbindelse mellem hende og de to søstre …”Dobbeltgængersken”, der senere også er blevet udgivet på dansk med titlen ”Kvinden i hvidt”, regnes som en af verdens første kriminalromaner. Den udkom første gang i 1906.Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) var en engelsk forfatter. Han var enormt populær i sin samtid, men er i dag bedst kendt for spændingsromanerne ”Kvinden i hvidt” og ”Månestenen”. Collins blev oprindeligt udlært i et tefirma, men begyndte senere at læse jura og blev advokat. I begyndelsen af 1850’erne mødte han Charles Dickens, og flere af hans værker udkom som føljetoner i Dickens ugemagasiner ”All the Year Round” og ”Household Words”.

What happens if two boys are given the exact same name? If you guessed 'disaster in adulthood', you would be right. When one of the men dies, there is an exciting adventure to find his heir. Leading from London to the sunny Mediterranean and across to the Alps, you will meet a diverse cast of characters; some good, some bad, and some that are eerie and exotic. 'No Thoroughfare’ is a play in five acts written as a collaboration between two great writers; Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. Full of mystery and romance with a touch of excitement, this dramatic play is well worth reading for any Dickens or Collins fan.Regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens is best known for creating some of the world’s best known fictional characters who feature in his most popular novels, including The Artful Dodger in 'Oliver Twist’, Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’, and Miss Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’. Dickens’ timeless novels and short stories are still widely read today and many have been adapted into countless TV programmes and films including the Academy Award-winning musical ‘Oliver’, and 'A Christmas Carol' which is well known worldwide and is a huge favourite movie for families to watch together at Christmas time.London-born Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

What is "poor" about Miss Finch? Well, with a novel with names like "Mr Sebright" (he’s an eye specialist – "see bright", geddit?), it’s all about sight. You see, Lucilla Finch has been blind since infancy – until she meets the eccentric German doctor Herr Grosse who partially restores her sight. Far from treating her simply as a "poor" blind Victorian woman, this novel is conscious of the experience of blindness, particularly that of blindness and romance.Published a few years after his acclaimed mystery novel, "The Moonstone" (which starred Sarah Hadland in a recent BBC adaptation), Wilkie Collins now keeps up the mystery in "Poor Miss Finch". Having researched a real case of regained sight, Collins depicts great detail in Lucilla’s experience of colours whilst in the midst of a love triangle.Two brothers want Lucilla’s hand in marriage; their deception and plotting must be foiled before Lucilla unwittingly changes her life forever.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

Imagine as a woman losing all your property to your husband. Sadly, such was the law for much of the Victorian times. Wilkie Collins’s novel "The Woman in White" (starring Charles Dance in a recent BBC adaptation) first explored this absurdity. Now expanding on marriage law, Collins writes a protest for women’s rights in "Man and Wife".Two young women, Anne and Blanche, live together in Scotland after Anne’s father abandoned her due to a legal loophole. Both women are engaged but Anne’s fiancé, Geoffrey, is getting cold feet. Yet Anne knows a trick from the Scottish law books: if a man is witnessed to verbally declare a woman his wife, they are legally married.Meanwhile, Blanche’s fiancé, Arnold, is sent on Geoffrey’s behalf to meet Anne. Under guise, Arnold publicly asks for his "wife", and accidentally potentially marries Anne. A fascinating tale of a wife’s rights, this thriller will make you question the true impact of a marriage proposal.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

If you’ve seen "The Sixth Sense" with Bruce Willis, you’ll be familiar with Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome: deliberately making a person feel unwell in order to care for them. In "Jezebel’s Daughter", the poisonous Mrs Fontaine does exactly that in a plan to get her daughter, Minna, married. This is a story of romance and what happens when parents get too involved in their children’s marriages.Centred around a business based in London and Frankfort (or Frankfurt as we say today), "Jezebel’s Daughter" offers distinctive Victorian characters. Fritz Keller, the son of a partner of the business, is in love with Minna Fontaine. Meanwhile, the kindly proto-feminist Mrs Wagner runs the London office which employs women. She is caring for a patient, Jack, from the Bedlam psychiatric hospital.This thriller of a tale culminates when Mrs Fontaine, Mrs Wagner, and Jack all clash in a gothic plot that will determine the happy ending of Fritz and Minna.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

You’ve gotta love those travel documentaries with celebrities awkwardly trying to make their interactions with locals seem impromptu and organic. Perhaps it’s best to let the writers express the escapism of travel. And why not leave travel writing to Wilkie Collins, the star of Victorian-era mystery and thriller novels? In "Rambles Beyond Railways", Collins exchanges his London ale for a Cornish pasty when he writes of his travels around Cornwall.While the Victorians were crazy about building railways, rail access didn’t extend to the whole of Cornwall. Instead, Collins goes by foot across Cornwall with his friend, Henry Brandling, who provided illustrations for the original publication. True to his love of the sensational, Collins explores the enchanting Cornish locations whence stories of ghostly shipwrecks and semi-mythical kings originated.Get lost in Collins’s Cornwall instead of Jeremy Clarkson’s ill-fitting jeans.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

When you think of Charles Dickens’ ghost stories, you may first think of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and the ghosts that visit Scrooge. However, ‘The Trail for Murder’ is perhaps Dickens’ second best-known ghost tale. Written in 1865, ‘The Trial for Murder’ is a short story in which the ghost of a murder victim materialises to the foreman of the jury at his own murder trial. In this supernatural horror story, the ghost harasses the jurors and witnesses to ensure that his murderer is found guilty. While ‘The Trial for Murder' might not be considered scary by our modern-day standards it was one of the first ghost stories widely published and is a great read for fans of films like ‘The Sixth Sense’.Regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens is best known for creating some of the world’s best known fictional characters who feature in his most popular novels, including The Artful Dodger in 'Oliver Twist’, Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’, and Miss Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’. Dickens’ timeless novels and short stories are still widely read today and many have been adapted into countless TV programmes and films including the Academy Award-winning musical ‘Oliver’, and 'A Christmas Carol' which well known worldwide and is a huge favourite movie for families to watch together at Christmas time.

Dr Phil didn’t invent family drama. This Victorian novel might as well be given the Dr Phil caption of "I found out my parents weren’t married, and my cousin won’t give me my inheritance". A suspenseful yet poignant tale of the prejudices against illegitimacy, "No Name" captures the anxieties at the time – but also love stories – surrounding marriage.Two sisters, Magdalen and Norah Vanstone live an idyllic life in the English countryside with their wealthy parents. A tragedy upends their lives, suddenly losing their status in society. This new life brings Magdalen to York, then London, beginning her riveting tale of acting, marriage proposals, revenge, and even poison.A thriller that would put Dr Phil out of business, "No Name" emphasises romance in the face of rigid Victorian society.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

"Little Novels" isn’t quite a "Little Women" spin-off, as the title might suggest. While you won’t be treated to Timothée Chalamet, you will be treated to fourteen short stories – or little novels (ah now the title makes sense).Wilkie Collins loved writing thrillers about characters proposing marriage who get caught up in dramatic circumstances and must solve a mystery. The thrilling mystery-solving element is the foundations of modern detective novels. While these little novels are true to Collins’s style, they are unique and captivating stand-alone stories. There’s even some supernatural and some social commentary thrown in there.A haunted priest, a sea captain falling in love in Polynesia, a princess falling in love with a secretary, the unsolved murder of a sleepwalker’s husband – these short stories will immerse you in a Victorian world of intrigue, romance, and male suitors who you might imagine looking like Timothée Chalamet.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

Ok, nobody wants to lose pound500 – but is it big enough of a deal to deserve a short story? To put it into context: a Victorian pound500 was about pound60,000 in today’s money. So, yeah, it’s a big deal. That’s why, when Lady Lydiard has the money stolen from her, the plot becomes a whodunnit. A precursor to modern-day detective novels, this novella revolves around the colourful characters (and a Scottie dog) who are all present in Lady Lydiard’s household when her pound500 disappears.In this fun and compelling tale, two of the men suspected are both romantically interested in Isabel Miller, Lady Lydiard’s companion-cum-adoptive-daughter. "My Lady’s Money" follows these suspects as the intensity of both the theft and romance increases.A classic mystery novella with a love story: think Miss Marple but with marriage proposals.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for playing the Joker, capturing the psychologically dark personality of a villain. Critics were stunned – just as how the villainous character of Lydia Gwilt in "Armadale" stunned critics of the time. "Armadale" might give us the Victorian answer to the Joker, but it’s not only a psychological thriller. This novel is also a feat of classic Victorian themes of the supernatural, detectives, and romance.Inheriting his mother’s family estate in Norfolk, Allan Armadale is brought into contact with the spine-chilling Lydia who is jealous of his love interest. Meanwhile, Allan’s friend, Ozias Midwinter, receives a letter written years before by a man on his deathbed – also named Allan Armadale. The letter reveals a shocking secret that connects the past of Allan and Ozias.Discovering this secret, Lydia "the Joker" Gwilt uses it to plot against Allan in a dramatic tale of stolen identity and family inheritance.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

Madonna, the Queen of Pop, was not the first to be named in honour of the graceful Madonna in art. The focal point of this novel, Mary, is affectionately known as "Madonna" on account of her beauty. Moreover, Mary is both deaf and dumb: "Hide and Seek" is a bold and thrilling Victorian novel that reflects on disability in a positive light.Mary was adopted from a circus by Lavinia – who also has a disability – and Valentine Blyth. That circus past becomes the central enigma of the novel when friends Zachary and Mat become involved with Mary in London. Mat is solving his own family mystery when he stumbles upon a shocking detail linked to Mary.A tale of forbidden love, family drama, and mystery, Charles Dickens liked it so much that he declared it the "cleverest novel". (It even has a circus clown – eat your heart out Krusty the Clown.)London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

A giant diamond stolen from India; a rakish rogue; a naive teenager and a drug-fueled scandal.These are the leading parts that combine to make one of the greatest detective novels of all time.'The Moonstone' by Wilkie Collins laid many of the foundations for the detective genre.At heart, though, it is a great story.Rachel Verinder inherits a large Indian diamond on her 18th birthday. It turns out to have been stolen from India by her corrupt uncle and is of immense religious significance.When the diamond goes missing at Rachel's birthday party, it sparks a mystery that involves Indian jugglers, Hindu priests, an unlikely love story, betrayal, intrigue - and twists and turns to the final page.Collins was a close friend of Charles Dickens, who serialised 'The Moonstone' in his magazine 'All the Year Round'.In 2016 it was made into a five-part BBC TV series, starring John Thomson.It is an example of an epistolary novel: one written as a series of documents, including letters and diary entries. Other famous examples include Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'.William Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English novelist and playwright. His most popular novels are 'The Woman in White' - adapted for stage in 2004 by Andrew Lloyd Webber and for BBC TV in 2018, starring Ben Hardy and Jessie Buckley - and 'The Moonstone'.Collins was initially a tea merchant before his first novel 'Antonina' was published. Soon afterwards, his life was transformed by meeting and becoming friends with Charles Dickens. The great novelist became a mentor and helped him with his two classic novels.

Gdyby nie jedno dziwne wydarzenie, ta relacja moglaby potoczyc sie zupelnie inaczej... Walter Hartright podczas wieczornego letniego spaceru spotyka kobiete ubrana na bialo, ktora potrzebuje pomocy w dotarciu do Londynu. Mlodzieniec spelnia jej prosbe. Po dotarciu na miejsce dowiaduje sie, ze pomagal uciekinierce ze szpitala psychiatrycznego. Nastepnego dnia wyjezdza do Limmeridge House, gdzie uczy rysunku dwie mlode dziewczyny. Laura do zludzenia przypomina kobiete w bialym ubraniu. Jeden z pierwszych w historii literatury kryminalow, laczacy elementy sensacji i romansu. Powiesc epistolarna, w ktorej tajemnicza historie poznajemy z wielu roznych perspektyw. Interesujaca pozycja dla milosnikow wspolczesnych ksiazek detektywistycznych oraz filmow Alfreda Hitchcocka.-

Cagney and Lacey may be the most iconic female detective duo, but who was the fictional female sleuth who started it all? Nancy Drew? Maybe Miss Marple? Nope – one of the first literary female detectives was Valeria Brinton, this novel’s heroin. "The Law and the Lady" is the trailblazing book that begins the whole detective genre.In this suspenseful Victorian story, something is amiss with Valeria’s new husband, Eustace. Valeria becomes suspicious during their honeymoon in Ramsgate on the Kentish coast. Back in London, Valeria digs deeper and discovers Eustace’s dark past.On the trail of truth, Valeria secretly investigates the legal proceedings surrounding Eustace to find her own evidence. After travelling to Edinburgh in Scotland, she unearths the answer that will rock the future of her marriage.Next time you’re getting into your favourite detective movie – deerstalker in hand – remember where it all started.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are some of the first modern detective novels.

"You don’t have to put on the red light", as Sting sings – except this female main character, Mercy Merrick, comes to that conclusion herself. Originally written as a play, "The New Magdalen" is a classic Victorian sensation novel, highlighting the prejudices against a woman of the streets in English society.Mercy is at the frontline of the war in France when she meets Grace Roseberry, a traveller who is returning to England to connect with her wealthy English relative, Lady Roy, after being left penniless in Italy. Spotting an opportunity to change her life, Mercy cunningly takes Grace’s name. It’s a dramatic tale of a stolen identity amongst the upper classes, which would be right at home in the pages of "The Talented Mr. Ripley".Not only a thriller, this novel is a touching display of female friendship and unexpected romance, with twists in every chapter.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

You’ve probably read or seen a film based on an epistolary novel (a story presented through letters sent between characters): "Persuasion", "Dracula", and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". You’ll also like "The Black Robe" if you want to get straight into a character’s thoughts from their letters, with compelling narration between the letters.Haunted by a death in Boulogne, Lewis Romayne returns to London where he meets Stella Eyrecourt, who falls in love with Lewis. Enter Father Benwell, a Catholic priest who wants to convert Lewis to Catholicism. He makes it his mission to stop a marriage between Lewis and Stella because Stella is Protestant.With the forces against them, Lewis and Stella then become embroiled in gripping events involving love triangles, Catholic authorities and inheritance. An insight into Victorian England’s angst surrounding the Catholic Church, this novel is ultimately about a love story against all odds.London-born Wilke Collins (1824-1889) became known in Victorian England for his novels and plays, sometimes writing together with Charles Dickens. His most famous works, "The Woman in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), are examples of the first modern detective novels.

Kto by się spodziewał, że zaręczyny Agnieszki Lockwood i lorda Monberryego zostaną zerwane? Każdy, kto choć trochę poznał hrabinę Naronę, mógł oczekiwać takiego zakończenia. Tajemnicza, intrygująca, piękna i pewna siebie kobieta, która zarazem zachowuje w kontakcie lekki dystans - to istny wabik na mężczyzn. Kobieta puka do gabinetu lekarskiego lorda Monberryego z jasnym celem: uwieść i poślubić lekarza. Intryga, którą snuje, działa niezawodnie i nie oszczędza ofiar. Z biegiem czasu czytelnik poznaje jednak głębsze psychologiczne uzasadnienie tych zuchwałych działań. Postać hrabiny Narony to pierwszy tak wyrazisty portret tzw. "nowej kobiety" w literaturze wiktoriańskiej.William Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) - brytyjski pisarz i dramaturg, syn malarza Williama Collinsa. Jego książka "Kamień Księżycowy" jest uważana za pierwszą na świecie powieść detektywistyczną. Pisarz specjalizował się w tym gatunku, pozostawił po sobie 30 powieści (m.in. "The Woman in White", "Armadale" i "No Name") i ponad 60 opowiadań, które cieszyły się dużą popularnością i przyniosły autorowi sławę i bogactwo. Collins napisał także 14 dramatów i ponad 100 esejów. Przyjaźnił się z Karolem Dickensem. Alfred Hitchcock wymieniał powieści Collinsa wśród tekstów, które były inspiracją dla jego twórczości filmowej.

Durant la prise de Srirangapatna, le colonel Herncastle a derobe la pierre de lune, un enorme diamant jaune incruste a l'origine dans une statue hindoue, et place sous la protection de trois brahmanes. De retour en Angleterre, la malediction s'abat sur lui. Alors qu'il sent la mort approcher, il offre en heritage le mysterieux bijou a sa niece, Rachel Verinder. Mais a peine en prend-elle possession, que le diamant lui est vole la nuit-meme, pendant son sommeil...Ce monument de la litterature est le premier roman policier moderne en langue anglaise. Il installe des elements du genre qui, aujourd'hui, constituent des incontournables : fausses pistes, detective, suspects innocentes... -

På sin attenårs fødselsdag modtager en ung engelsk frøken den orientalske kæmpediamant, Månestenen, som en arv fra sin onkel. Diamanten stammer fra Indien og har stor religiøs værdi for hinduerne, der vil gå meget langt for at få den tilbage. Allerede samme aften bliver stenen stjålet fra den unge piges værelse, og nu må detektiven sergent Cuff forsøge at opklare den mystiske sag.Dette er første del af Wilkie Collins klassiske kriminalroman "Månestenen".Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) var en engelsk forfatter. Han var enormt populær i sin samtid, men er i dag bedst kendt for spændingsromanerne "Kvinden i hvidt" og "Månestenen". Collins blev oprindeligt udlært i et tefirma, men begyndte senere at læse jura og blev advokat. I begyndelsen af 1850’erne mødte han Charles Dickens, og flere af hans værker udkom som føljetoner i Dickens ugemagasiner "All the Year Round" og "Household Words".

På sin attenårs fødselsdag modtager en ung engelsk frøken den orientalske kæmpediamant, Månestenen, som en arv fra sin onkel. Diamanten stammer fra Indien og har stor religiøs værdi for hinduerne, der vil gå meget langt for at få den tilbage. Allerede samme aften bliver stenen stjålet fra den unge piges værelse, og nu må detektiven sergent Cuff forsøge at opklare den mystiske sag.Dette er anden del af Wilkie Collins klassiske kriminalroman "Månestenen".Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) var en engelsk forfatter. Han var enormt populær i sin samtid, men er i dag bedst kendt for spændingsromanerne "Kvinden i hvidt" og "Månestenen". Collins blev oprindeligt udlært i et tefirma, men begyndte senere at læse jura og blev advokat. I begyndelsen af 1850’erne mødte han Charles Dickens, og flere af hans værker udkom som føljetoner i Dickens ugemagasiner "All the Year Round" og "Household Words".

If you have ever come across the word "rogue" before, chances are you have either been playing video games, perused old X-Men comics or have overheard it as part of your aunt's vocabulary, while she was being cajoled over the phone by that slick, dapper mediterranean gentleman she met on her holiday in Barcelona. Shockingly, and somewhat regrettably, Wilkie Collins is less romantically inclined and resorts to using the word in its traditional sense of "a proper scoundrel".With character names such as "Frank Softly" and "Dr. Dulcifer", you would be forgiven for thinking that this story is a comedy (or a piece of pornography) but not quite so, although it does contain humorous elements. Frank Softly is unsuccessful in his career choices but manages to fall in love with the good doctor's daughter. Continuing his streak of questionable luck, Frank's new father-in-law turns out to be a professional fraudster – a business in which our happy-go-lucky protagonist unwillingly finds himself entangled, becoming the eponymous "rogue". A moment whose modern equivalent would be the point in the comic book movie where somebody says the film's title aloud. An uplifting tale of thwarted ambition and clandestine love, "A Rogue's Life" is a short novel originally published in "Household Words" in 1856 and in book form in 1879.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

"The Fallen Leaves" is a British garage rock group that formed in Richmond, London in 2004. Their most commercially successful release was 2013's "If Only We'd Known" with their top hit being "Against the Grain" according to Spotify. And why this "American Psycho"-esque music monologue in the middle of a Wilkie Collins book description you might ask? Because this novel's protagonist, Amelius Goldenheart, might just be the original flamboyant lady killer (although only figuratively) and solicitor of prostitutes in Western Literature.Exiled from his Utopian community due to an illicit affair with an older woman, Amelius comes to London to enlist in the service of John Farnaby, a man of ill repute. He is immediately captivated by his employer's niece and soon our hero finds himself entangled in his new family's dark history. And if you thought Gilderoy Lockhear- sorry, Amelius Goldenheart, is one to turn a blind eye to misfortune and injustice, well, you are encouraged to read his ridiculous name again.A follow-up to this story titled "Second Series" was planned but ultimately never written.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

In case you've never taken a moment to stop looking at cat videos and arguing with strangers on the Internet to appreciate the readily accessible cornucopia of collected human knowledge that your phone *also* provides, reading classic literature really puts the global network into perspective. Dickens, Bronte, Austen, Conan Doyle, Nesbith... all sitting huddled over their desks in either London or the English countryside, writing stories set in the great manors of Yorkshire, on the shores of Sussex or in the working-class district of the capital. And in addition to all taking place a stone's throw away, they are all pretty much contemporary. Sure, write what you know, but still... tis a bit boring, innit? Can't *somebody* expand the world just a tiny bit for an audience with neither affordable travel or a 5G connection? Enter Big Willy C.In this his first published novel, Collins tackles two conflicts in the Rome of 408 AD: Paganism vs. Christianity and the titular hero, the daughter of a Christian Roman zealot, Antonia vs. Goisvintha - a Goth survivor of a Roman massacre. And when mild-mannered Antonia ends up captured by Goisvintha's brother during a siege, a tale of betrayals, sex and cat and mouse can truly unfold. It's not giant mech battles on distant planets exactly, but for 1850 English literature, this is pretty darn exotic.-

Old-timey horror is often a hard sell to a modern, visually-oriented audience whose palettes have long been cleansed, and numbed, by jumpscares, the gorefests of SAW-movies and the now common trope of evil children. Thus pampered by excess, it can be hard to ignore the old works' ghost strings, cheap rubber masks and the fact that the world and its horrors back then was simply... simpler. And when Wilkie Collins, on top of all that, graces this story with what sounds like the working title of Frasier Crane's disastrous classic radio drama "Nightmare Inn" from season 4 of the eponymous sitcom, the hill suddenly seems all the steeper.Fear not, however – well, not yet at least, as "The Haunted Hotel" is classified as "unusually horrific for Collins" by collinseurs.Breaking off his engagement to Agnes Lockwood, Lord Montbarry moves into an old dilapidated palace in Venice with his new wife and her brother. But when the lord suddenly ends up dead, his brother Henry and Agnes suspect an insurance fraud on part of Montbarry's new family. As the palace is refurbished into a hotel, the pair opts to stay there in search of the truth and even with Collins' normal flair for the supernatural in mind, the story veers in almost tangible spookiness. For the time, at any rate."The Haunted Hotel" was originally published in book form with "My Lady's Money" (1877) and dedicated to his friends Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Schlesinger.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

Die Klassiker des Horror-Genres von Poe über Stevenson bis Bram Stoker kommen in dieser Sammlung zu Wort. Ihre Erzählungen sind der schauerlichen Romantik verbunden, dem Übernatürlichen, welches sich der wissenschaftlichen Erklärung widersetzt: Geheimnisvoll wirken zerstörerische Kräfte im Abgrund der menschlichen Seele. Doch kann das Schauerliche auch hinüberreichen ins Bizarre, Absurde, Groteske. Und dann entsteht ein Humor, den man getrost makaber nennen darf. Gruselgeschichten, die jeder mag.

Isaac träumt von einer Frau: Sie steht am Fußende seines Bettes mit erhobenem Messer, um ihn zu erstechen. Jahre später heiratet er – doch die Ehe wird nicht glücklich. Eines Nachts erwacht er, und seine Frau droht ihn zu erstechen, wie in dem alten Traum. Er flieht und hat seitdem keine Ruhe, kann nicht mehr schlafen... Wird sie ihn finden? Wilkie Collins besitzt nicht nur ein großes Gespür für gruselige Szenarien, sondern bindet auch meisterhaft Elemente der Detektiv- und Kriminalliteratur in seine Geschichten mit ein.

Williamilla on onnea, kun han paasee palvelijaksi herra ja rouva Norcrossin talouteen. Onhan perhe rikas ja hyvamaineinen. Kun herra Norcross menehtyy, nuori leski jaa asuttamaan suurta maatilaa palvelijoiden kanssa. Rouva Norcrossilla riittaa kosijoita. Williamin yllatykseksi leski ei kuitenkaan valitse uudeksi puolisokseen hyvamaineista herrasmiesta, vaan lipevan James Smithin. Kukaan ei silti aavista, minkalaisia kauheuksia Smithin historiaan kuuluu..."e;Eraan perheen tarina"e; on Wilkie Collinsin jannittava pienoisromaani.-

Enticed by a large sum of money, Jessie, a spunky young girl of 20 summers, moves into a grand house inhabited by three older men. Now, if you think you already know where "Queen of Hearts" is heading, you should get your mind out of the gutter, because the year is 1859 and the style is chaste romance... but with a twist.The titular Queen of Hearts, Jessie, is a sensation with the three brothers, but her stay is numbered to only six full weeks (a calamity in itself) yet to top it off, one of the brothers' sons is in love with Jessie and wants to get home in time to propose. Thus, it falls to her hosts to delay Jessie's departure and so they devise a plan to compose and tell stories to enthrall and captivate her.Suddenly, one novel has split into 10 short stories and you feel like you're sitting at the bus stop next to Forrest Gump, engulfed by personal tales of everything from ping-pong to New Year's Eve with Lieutenant Dan before the main story picks up again. Just set yourself up for a happier ending.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

If you're born in the Western world or have played a lot of video games, chances are the title "The Legacy of Cain" will make you think of either polygon vampires or take you straight back to the lazy sunlit classrooms of primary school Bible studies. Fortunately, Wilkie Collins' 1888 novel avoids the oppressive embrace of both of these constructs yet still manages to mix in both faith and horrific murder.Against both his wife's and doctor's wishes, a minister decides to adopt the baby daughter of a prisoner facing execution, arguing that the mother's evil can't possibly have been passed down. The hitherto childless couple suddenly has a baby girl of their own and the two girls are raised ignorant of the truth. Yet as ghosts of the past creep into the girls' lives, the question becomes how long the secret can be kept – and what the consequences its uncovering will be.An exploration of nature vs. nurture with a pinch of the supernatural, "The Legacy of Cain" isn't about anybody named Cain at all – but we'll wager you'll like it all the same.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.